This invention relates to an unstable article conveying device, and, more particularly, relates to a device with a diverter for conveying and diverting unstable articles, particularly unstable articles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon, between a single path, or line, and multiple paths, or lines.
It is oftentimes necessary to convey articles between different locations, such as, for example, moving articles from one location to another in connection with various steps in manufacturing, storage and/or use of articles, or containers. Such articles must sometimes be moved in single line, or file, and at other times must be moved in multiple line or mass, between locations, and conveying systems for effecting article movement between multiple line or mass to single line and/or from single line to multiple line or mass are now well known.
Particular difficulty has been encountered, however, in conveying lightweight unstable articles, such as plastic containers or bottles, from one location to another location due, at least in part, to the tendency of such articles to easily tip during movement.
Where such articles have a neck ring, it is also known that such articles can be engaged and supported by elongated guides or movable flanges engaging the bottom side of the neck ring with movement of the articles along the guides being urged by air directed at the articles (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,370 (Danler et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,035 (Mann et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,214 (Aidlin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,636 (Aidlin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,174 (Karass), U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,265 (Mirkin), U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,153 (Aidlin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,919 (Smith et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,097 (McCoy et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,889 (Langenbeck) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,552 (Simkowski)) or with movement of the articles being urged by movement of the flanges (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,998 (Priero)).
It is also known that sections of fixed guides engaging the neck rings of the articles can be curved to cause a deviation, or turn, in the article flow path (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,552 (Simkowski)), and that fixed guides engaging the neck rings of articles can be flexed to provide height adjustment of the article flow path (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,679 (Simkowski et al.)).
It is likewise also known that unstable articles being air conveyed along a path established by fixed position guides can be diverted to auxiliary, or other, paths through the use of diverters (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,214 (Aidlin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,636 (Aidlin et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,097 (McCoy et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,552 (Simkowski)), and that displaceable arms can be pivoted to divert articles between single and multiple lines (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,091 (Johnson et al.) and EPO Publication 0 668 223 (Steinle) where air is utilized to urge the articles through the displaceable arm, U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,006 (Shuttleworth) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,430 (Ebira) where belts are utilized to convey the articles through the displaceable arm, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,818 (Simkowski) where gripping fingers are utilized to convey the articles through the displaceable arm).
This invention provides an unstable article conveying device, particularly for unstable articles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon, with the device including an article (or article line) diverter.
The unstable articles are conveyed along a first path (preferably in single line, or file) established by a first guide unit to a plurality of second paths (each preferably also conveying the articles in single line, or file) established by a plurality of second guide units through a third path established by a third guide unit having a diverter with a first portion establishing a first end portion path of the third path that is aligned with the first path established by the first guide unit, a second portion establishing a second end portion path of the third path with the second portion being movable to align the second end portion path with different ones of the plural second paths established by the plurality of second guide units, and a flexible portion (preferably including a flexible bar) establishing a deviation in the third path upon aligning movement of the second portion.
Aligning movement of the second portion of the diverter of the third guide unit, normally in opposite arcuate directions, is controlled by a controller (preferably acting in conjunction with a movable portion of a support bar of the diverter) to align the second end portion of the third path with different ones (preferably successive adjacent ones) of the second paths established by the plurality of second guide units.
An article actuator, with article engagable members, is provided within an actuator path at each actuator guide of each guide unit, with each article actuator preferably being a movable chain within a chain (actuator) path and having flanges extending therefrom to engage the articles in the article path adjacent to the chain path. An actuator guide of each guide unit is also preferably positioned at opposite sides of each article path, to engage the articles and urge the articles along the article path upon movement of the article actuators along the actuator paths.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved article conveying.
It is another object of this invention to provide improved article conveying for unstable articles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon.
It is another object of this invention to provide improved unstable article conveying utilizing article diverting.
It is another object of this invention to provide improved article diverting for conveying of unstable articles between a single line, or path, and multiple lines, or paths.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved unstable article conveying device and method with article, or line, diverting for conveying unstable articles between a single line, or path, and multiple lines, or paths.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved unstable article conveying device that includes a movable diverter with a flexible portion that causes a deviation in the article path at the diverter upon movement of the diverter to align a single line and different ones of multiple lines.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved unstable article conveyor that includes a movable diverter with a flexible portion connected with a support bar having a movable portion and a controller for controlling movement of the movable portion of the support bar to cause movement of the diverter to align a single line and different ones of multiple lines with the aligning movement of the diverter also causing the flexible portion of the diverter to establish a deviation in the article path at the diverter.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved unstable article conveyor that includes a first guide unit establishing a first path for the unstable articles and having article actuation associated with the first portion for urging the unstable articles along the first path, a plurality of second guide units each establishing a second path for the unstable articles and having article actuation associated with each of the plural second paths for urging the unstable articles along the plural second paths, and a third guide unit establishing a third path with the third guide unit having a diverter with article actuation associated with the third path for urging the articles along the third path and with a first portion of the diverter establishing a first end portion path of the third path aligned with the first path established by the first guide unit, a second portion establishing a second end portion path of the third path with the second portion being movable to align the second end portion with different ones of the plural second paths established by the plurality of second guide units, and a flexible portion establishing a deviation in the third path upon aligning movement of the second portion to align the second end portion with different ones of the second paths.
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, arrangement of parts, and method substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as come within the scope of the claims.